A Land In Turmoil
by NarutokkUchiha
Summary: A warring Continent. A war orphan. The resolve to protect. This is a story of Hope, a story of Despair, of Revenge but most importantly, this is the story of the birth of an Empire.
1. Amongst The Dead

_Blood._

It dripped from the trees, covered the rocks and stones... poured across the ground.

 _Death_

All around, everywhere you looked, all you could see across the landscape was the mutilated corpses of the dead... and the dying.

 _Life...?_

Within the center of it all, amongst the devastation, a lone boy sat. It was a strange sight, but a nice change of pace when you compare it to what was around him. He sat next to one of the corpses... an Uchiha, as he slowly ate a piece of bread with one hand whilst his other gripped the handle of a sword, that was ten times too big for him, with such intensity that it began to crack slightly.

 _Footsteps_

The boys eyes grew wide when he heard the sound of something running towards him. He turned around to the sight of a feral looking man with strange fang like tattoos on his face and elongated nails, claws even, sprinting towards him with bloodshot eyes. The young boy dropped his bread in alarm and prepared to swing his sword, his battered and chipped sword, as his eyes held a dangerous glint to them that no child's eyes should ever hold. As the man, an Inuzuka the boy summarized, got within fighting distance the boy swung his sword as hard as he could.

 _Guts_

They flew out of the mans open stomach covering the young child as the Inuzuka screamed out in agony. Coughing up blood he used the final bit of his energy to glare at the child in hate.

"M...Monster!" He spat out at the child who just proceeded to pick his bread up of the battleground, wipe the blood off and walk away.

 **Clap, Clap**

The boys eyes widened at the sound of someone clapping in his ear, acting on instinct he spun around, sword in hand, and swung at whatever made the noise.

 **Ting**

 _Fear_

This was the only emotion that the child could feel as the sword he clutched was cleaved in half, by a KUNAI no less.

"!" The boy shouted out as he fell back, landing in the guts of another of the deceased.

"Now, now young one" A voice spoke out, male, as the boy looked up to see who managed to commit such a feat "No need for violence"

The boy studied the man 'slight wrinkles with the sign that he's begun to sag in areas, not old, but not young either, his 50's perhaps? But in the era we live in that would be ancient? wait a second... red hair? so he's...' The man had a slight smirk on his face as the boys eyes widened to near impossible proportions 'He's an Uzumaki? but only one Uzumaki is that age... Uzumaki Samuru... I fought this man was a myth... ahh well... it looks like this is it' The young child thought as he clenched his eyes shut.

"No need to be afraid young one" Samuru said with a frown on his face as he watched the boys movements. 'This is definitely HIS son alright' He thought.

Taking a long look at the boy he noticed sign of malnutrition as well as various injuries that had been left ignored. Heterochromia, he noticed as the boy had one almost golden colored eye and another dark red eye. He proceeded to take notice of the boys hair and his eyes widened slightly 'You wouldn't be able to tell at first glance but that kids hair...it's not red...it's just soaked through with blood' He thought to himself as he became slightly startled. It was then that he made a choice.

"What's your name kid?" He asked with a gentle, fatherly voice 'I'm so glad me and honey had our darling little princess to make this easier' he reflected.

Studying the man some more, before deciding he was at Samuru's mercy anyway, the boy decided to speak up.

"It's N..Naruto sir" He replied, with a small trace of fear.

Samuru kindly looked at the boy as he sheathed his word.

"Well then Naruto" He joyfully spoke "Lets get you all cleaned up then!"

Naruto's eyes widened once again before a small smile appeared on his face. He nodded slightly to the older man and proceeded to attempt to stand up. He failed. Naruto Flinched slightly as he looked down at his legs, only noticing now that he twisted his ankle 'From the fall' he deduced.

"Ah... Sorry about that, that's my fault" Samuru Sheepishly spoke as he rubbed the back of his head. Thinking quickly he grabbed the boys arm and swung Naruto round onto his back, ignoring the small cry of surprise, as he walked of, Naruto in tow, leaving the desecrated grounds of yet another battle between the warring clans.

* * *

 **Splash**

Water could be heard as Samuru proceeded to help Naruto wash the blood and grime of his body. To Naruto it felt like heaven. It had been days, maybe even weeks since he was able to relax and wash himself off. He felt so... so clean. And his hair wasn't so sticky and disgusting like it was before. Whilst helping Naruto clean Samuru couldn't help but have a large frown etched onto his face.

'I know he's a war orphan, that much was obvious from what HE told me, and even if HE hadn't told me it still would of been an obvious conclusion seeming though I found him gutting a man in the middle of the battlefield... but this?" The older man sadly thought as he looked at the boys white hair. 'What exactly have you went through these past months to get Marie Antoinette Syndrome?'

Samuru was snapped out of his thoughts by the near silent "Thank you" that came from Naruto. Smiling slightly he ruffled the boys hair and then let out a boisterous laugh.

"No need to thank me brat! I'm just doing what any responsible adult would do" He rowdily replied.

Naruto just stared at the man blankly before he started to put his clothing on, new clothing that Samuru brought him, before once again turning back to the man when his outfit was equipped.

"I...I need to go now old man" He lowly spoke as Samuru's eye began to twitch "I can't stay here" he finished as he turned away.

"Brat" Samuru hastily spoke. "How about you come with me? it's not safe out there for a young one like you. I'll teach you a thing or two as well besides, my 6 year old princess needs a playmate and your about her age...so what do you say brat?" He questioned.

Naruto's face was one of shock, of disbelief and his eyes slightly shined with hope. 'huh? tears?' He wondered as he rubbed his eyes. Turning around he looked at Samuru who had a gentle smile on his face before shutting his eyes and considering the question he was asked.

"Yeah" He slowly spoke "That sounds great old man" He said as a small smile came onto his face.

"Oii! I'm not old brat!" Samuru shouted before a smirk came to his face "Lets go then, we travel north, to my dojo and family farm"

Naruto nodded slightly and began to follow Samuru to the northern realms thus starting his journey.

 _ **A/N: There we go guys! First chapter done :) Hopefully it was decent! I'm unsure of when i'll be able to proceed with the second chapter due to university work that I need to do but it will come eventually if you liked it!**_


	2. The Apprentice

**Boring**

If there was one word Naruto would use to describe the journey north then it would be boring.

There was a few times when it wasn't and those were the times when he and Samuru would stop for the day to rest and eat whilst Samuru explained the basics of Swordsmanship as well as starting on teaching Naruto subjects such as Maths, Japanese, History and Naruto's favorite, Warfare. They had only been travelling for 2 weeks so far, they are taking to slow and steady route due to Samuru wanting to teach Naruto some basics first, but during those weeks Naruto had learned more then he ever had in his whole 6 years of living.

Thanks to his lessons in Swordsmanship he could now hold a sword correctly, though not perfectly, and his swings were not random anymore but held some reasoning behind them. He could now count well into the hundreds and can add and subtract without requiring a great deal of thought into his answers. Thanks to the lessons in Japanese, Naruto now knew a great deal of new words, though he was still having difficulties in writing. His lessons in History have also been very interesting as he has truly discovered why there is so much fighting going on as Samuru is not one to truly sugarcoat things, even to a child.

The answer was quite simply; Power. Everyone wanted it, though not just the power of being the strongest Clan or strongest person. What everyone wanted was the power to rule over all others. This land they lived on, the Elemental Continents ( **A/N not nations as there are no nations yet** ), was a prize to all clans in the great dispute to gain the most influence and power over it all.

It was due to this discovery that Naruto found his interest in Warfare. During his two weeks with Samuru, Naruto found a resolve in protecting those who are precious to him, though this amuses Samuru due to Naruto knowing no one else but him and he's powerful enough to protect himself, and argued with Samuru for a while demanding extra lessons in the art of Warfare. Samuru eventually gave in and agreed due to Naruto's argument having its merits.

'What's the point in trying to protect those precious to me when I don't have the necessary knowledge to learn how to defend during a siege or when and how to counterattack during a battle' Are the words that rang through Samuru's mind as he thought about the argument he and Naruto had a few days ago.

'Hn, the brat can be to smart for his own good sometimes' He thought as a small smile graced his face.

 **Smoke**

His eyes widened as the smell of smoke filled his nostrils. He quickly stopped, noticing Naruto halt besides him as well, and scanned around. It was then that he noticed the smoke arising in the distance not to far away from there position. Looking down at his young apprentice he noticed the mismatched eyes staring up at him, burning with determination. Sighing slightly he allowed a smirk to grace his face before a nodded slightly at the child.

"Fine then, lets go kid" He stated, as a serious expression appeared on his face and he gripped his sword. "Lets see what you've learnt"

As soon as those words were spoke he began to run towards the smoke in the distance, Naruto running slightly behind him, both with the same thought running through their minds

'Lets go help some people!'

 **A/N A short chapter, I know, but I wanted to write another one to follow up on chapter 1, if only to prove that I will not abandon this story any time soon, even if I can only update once a week, or once every two weeks or even once a month. Unless I say so I will not abandon this story due to university work! So if you enjoyed the first two chapters make sure to favorite! And if you didn't well, make sure to leave a review! Just keep in mind that if it's not constructive criticism your review will just be flat out ignored. Thank you!**


	3. The Battle For Wave

"Charge!" A voice shouted out as a multitude of warriors charged forwards, the wave of bodies crushing a hastily made barricade that the defenders had set up. "For the glory of the Sarutobi clan!" The man screamed out as a small fraction of the warriors began to set fire to the building via the use of Fire Style Jutsu.

"We Can't hold them!" A young man screamed out in terror before a kunai embedded itself deep into his brain via his eye socket.

"Retreat to the final barricade! We've got to buy time so the Women and Children can get out!" cried an elderly man as he ushered the defenders to follow him. This man was Takahide Saito, the elder of the Saito clan that held power in a small stretch of land known as the Land Of Waves due to the frequent floods and annual tsunamis. Right know the Saito clan was being attacked, and wiped out, by the Sarutobi clan, a rival clan of theirs which held dominance in the Land Of Ash which was a strip of hilly terrain that stretched across the southern border of the Land Of Waves and the northern border of the Land Of Fire.

'The situation looks grim' The elderly man thought to himself as he directed his men to positions in order to stage their last line of defense 'But i'll be damned if i go down without a fight! Besides, as long as the Women and Children escape the Saito clan will live on'

"Get ready to defend men! We fight to the last so our wives and children can live to see a brighter future! As long as they survive the Saito shall live on!" Takahide shouted as he rallied the resolve in his remaining men. 'Heh, the last stand of 1000. Who would've thought the Sarutobi would muster so many of their forces to take us out' He idly thought as he watched the near five thousand strong force marching towards him and his men backed up by the main Sarutobi Shinobi force at the rear.

"Halt" The voice of the Sarutobi general, 'Yamato' Takahide mused, called out before the Sarutobi advance came to a stop. Looking around Takahide noticed this pause in battle caused his own men to start becoming nervous again as they realized how much the Sarutobi controlled the battle once more.

"Takahide" Yamato snarled at the leader of his clans greatest rivals. "Let us stop this bloodshed why don't we? There is no need for your clans men to die such... pointless deaths"

"How dare you! These young men have created this land with their blood, sweat and tears! How dare you make a mockery out of these warriors for their desire to protect their homeland!" He shouted back, angered at his enemies blatant disrespect towards those who had died on the battlefield.

"Oh, I apologize old man. I thought they were an armed peasantry, not you clans warriors, you know, with how weak they were and all" The younger Sarutobi man shot back, a sick smile gracing his face as he saw Takahide begin to shake in rage, "but as much as I enjoy killing you Saito scum, I have a more beneficial proposal for all of us." He said, smiling as he realized he had Takahide's attention, "A duel, me vs... well I would say you Takahide, but you are well past your prime... I'll give you five minutes to choose a champion for this duel. If I win, your clans lands are given to the Sarutobi and you and your clansmen will be shipped of to a small ghetto where you'll all live the rest of your days in solitude as nothing more then breeding stock and slave to the Sarutobi. If your champion wins, the Sarutobi clan gets your lands and you all get to leave these lands as nomads, never to be able to settle down anywhere in peace with the knowledge that the Sarutobi clan will always be around to destroy you. So what do you say old man? It's either that, or i order you all killed right know before we pursue your women and children and rape every last one of them over your disgusting, old, mangled corpse!"

Takahide looked down in anger as well as slight disappointment. 'As much as i hate to admit it, the Saito haven't had any noteworthy warriors in years, never mind shinobi, and either way this is a lose/lose situation, but at least... at least with the second option we have a future' He thought with determination. "Give me time to choose a champion" He replied as he turned away to think.

An evil smile gracing his features, Yamato began to chuckle for some time, "Remember old man, you only have five minutes" He called out towards the older warrior.

* * *

"So who's it going to be sir?"

"I'll gladly fight that bastard, show him the Saito aren't as weak as he believes!"

"Elder Takahide! I'll gladly give my life for the clan. Use this opportunity to escape whilst I fight him!"

"SILENCE!" Takahide roared at his clansmen, "I need time to think... as much as I don't want to admit it we all know the truth! As we are now the Sarutobi will destroy us. None of us are at the level of strength that Yamoto has achieved" As he said this many clansmen looked down in shame and guilt, knowing how weak they were compare to the Sarutobi, "We just need an opening" the elder Saito muttered to his clansmen, "One opportunity to escape... but i'm afraid that chance is looking slim, and with our stronger warriors with the Women and Children or amongst the many dead... i'm afraid that the chance of us winning this duel is nearly non-existent"

"That's why i'm here" A voice from behind him spoke out as Takahide's eyes widened slightly and he turned around in surprise. In front of him stood a tall man with shoulder length red hair and an exceptionally serious expression gracing his face. Besides this man stood a young white haired boy who's left eye shined gold and right eye held no shine to it, instead it was a dim dark red. The boy had no expression on his face as he was completely devoid of emotion apart from the slight glimmer of determination in his eyes.

"And who may you be young man?" The elderly Saito cautiously asked as some of his men moved to surround the duo, "And why would you be willing to help?" He pressed on with narrowed eyes.

"Haha!" The red haired man let out a chuckle "See Naruto" He said as he looked down at his young companion, "Some people understand i'm still as youthful as ever," As soon as he finished speaking to his companion his face once again held a serious expression, "As for why i'm here Elder Takahide... my name is Samuru Uzumaki, Elder of the Uzumaki clan... consider my help the repaying of the debt my clan owes you" The man spoke as Takahide's eyes widened more and more with every word spoke, he was surprised, absolutely so, but who wouldn't be when a legend like Samuru had arrived to help change the tides of a losing battle in a war that had lasted for years on end.

"Samuru my boy!" He exclaimed as he noticed that a small sense of hope began to fill his clansmen once more, "Not that I am ungrateful that a man of your caliber is here but I must ask... WHY are you here?... how did you know about the attack my boy?" He questioned as his eyes held a dangerous glint to them, wary in case the Uzumaki was here to betray them.

"Well that's a long story old man" Samuru replied as Takahide's brow twitched and Naruto muttered 'Hypocrite' under his breath, "I'll tell you once this is over and done with because YOU don't have much time. Now i'm going to say this to you as it is" Samuru continued as his eyes narrowed, "Either you send one of this no name Saito youngster's to their deaths, or you utilize the favor we Uzumaki owe you and escape with one thousand more clansmen alive and one thousand happy families. The choice is yours"

* * *

"Stupid, stubborn old man!" Samuru shouted as he cut down another shinobi of the Sarutobi clan.

After his conversation with Samuru, Takahide decided to call in of the favor the Uzumaki clan owed the Saito, but not in the way Samuru expected. Takahide came up with the idea that only a Saito could save what remains of the Saito clan but due to the weakness of the younger generation of Saito he came to the conclusion that only he will be able to fight against Yamato on near equal terms, his experience making up for the fact he is well past his prime. Whilst the duel took place he asked, demanded rather, that Samuru utilizes one of the techniques the Uzumaki are well known for the **shadow clone** (a technique which creates a solid clone of somebody) and follow it up with the **transformation technique** (a technique that can transform a person to look identical to another) in order to act like the Saito clan members were watching the duel whilst the actual clan members retreated further north to their secret holy grounds where their families will be awaiting them. Due to the fact they are being chased down by the Sarutobi it seems like Takahide lost the duel and Yamato and his men discovered that the 'Saito' who where there were merely transformed clones. Luckily for them only a small detachment of Sarutobi shinobi were attacking them as it seems the rest of their forces had scattered around in search for them, though if they didn't hurry up the full might of the Sarutobi army would soon be upon them.

"AHH!" A voice screamed out snapping the Uzumaki out of his thoughts as he saw a young teenage Kunoichi of the Saito clan with her back against a tree, her hand embedded into it by a kunai, about to be struck down by an enemy shinobi.

'Damn it!' Samuru shouted within his mind as he attempted to race towards the girl in order to save her, 'I'm not going to make it in time!' He thought as his eyes widened watching the kunai swing down towards the young female.

 **Spurt**

Blood spurted all over the girls face as her eyes, as well as Samuru's, widened in shock and the Sarutobi screamed out in pain. Her eyes looking to the side of her the young kunoichi looked at the hand that no doubt belonged to the Sarutobi as it was still gripping onto the kunai that was about to end her existence. The shinobi clutched the stub which used to be his hand as he screamed out obscenities.

"Die... scum" A child like voice called out as a sword struck through the mans neck, slicing downwards towards his lungs, ripping out chunks of his ribs, his blooded muscles wrapping themselves around the blade as it tore through his body. The man quickly found himself clutching his neck, gurgling up blood as well as squirting it out of the gaping wound in his body, "I said... die" The voice said once again, with no emotion as the sword found itself embedded where the mans eye was, going straight into the socket and into the brain.

Looking up in shock the girl found the young boy who traveled with Samuru 'Naruto? that was his name, I think' The girl thought as she watched him with widened eyes as he kicked the body of the dead shinobi off his sword, she winced, as she looked at his sword, finding it blooded with pieces of the mans flesh, his eye and parts of his brain, was skewered to his sword.

She watched as he quickly glanced around, doing the same she came to realize that most of the Sarutobi shinobi were now either dead, dying or in full retreat, no doubt to get reinforcements and bring them here. She watched as her clansmen and women continued in their own retreat, not using this as a time to rest and idly noticed Samuru, who decided to move along when he realized Naruto had the situation covered, giving out orders on rotations for the medics, as there was a great deal of injured as well as getting reports from the older Saito clansmen.

"Are you alright?" She heard a voice question her as she snapped back to reality and noticed the young boy looking at her questioningly, as he used a cloth to wipe the gore off his sword and sheathed it. She could only nod to his question, still too shocked to speak, and a small smile graced his face due to her response.

"Do you think you can walk?" He asked, looking at her in some worry as he approached to the kunai that was embedded into her hand and quickly pulled it out.

"Ouch! you could of said something before you did that!" She responded angrily whilst rubbing her hand, "of course I can walk"

With the small smile still plastered on his face, Naruto ripped of some of the bottom end of his sleeve, idly wondering if Samuru would be annoyed that he has already ruined the new clothing he had given him, and took the girls injured hand withing his own, wrapping the sleeve around it and checking to make sure it was tight enough, one he was pleased with his work he gently patted the wound.

"You should get that checked out when you can, just in case there is an infection or something. I'm not really good with healing people, sorry." He said to the girl, a small, sad smile gracing his face.

"I... It's alright...Naruto" She replied, testing his name out, as she stood up. The young boy just looked at her and nodded slightly before he motioned towards the rest of her people and began to walk towards them, "Kicho!" She called out, and he turned around, a look of confusion on his face, sighing, she began to speak again, "Saito Kicho... that's my name!" She said, a beautiful smile etching her face.

She watched as a grin began to grace his face before it quickly turned into a full blown smile and she noticed as some light came into his dull, mismatched eyes. Once again he nodded and ran off to join everybody else. Shaking her head at the younger boys antics she decided to run after him, ignoring the bodies of the dead as she wanted nothing more then to get back to her family.

 **A/N There we go, The next chapter is complete! Hopefully it was better then the first two, being the first 'proper' full lengthed chapter and all. I did not want to do any proper battle scene, instead opting to show the end of battle scenes in order to ease you guys into what to be expected (because there will be some massive battle scenes in the future with full on blood and gore as well as... other things, one could expect from battles, before, during and after) and to ease myself into writing them (though it wasn't proper, proper battle scenes)**

 **I would give my other points on why the end of those scene was not shown... but that might ruin what I have planned. Thanks you guys! Don't forget to follow and/or favorite! And the review section is always open for constructive criticism! :)**


	4. The Pledge

"Daddy!" A young boy happily shouted as he ran towards a gruff looking man who was missing the section of his arm from elbow down.

All around families were reuniting, happily basking in the presence of their loved one's who had survived the hardships of the last few days, whilst those who lost someone stood aside, mourning their loses, but still looked on, content with the outcome and knowing their loved one's had died so many more could survive.

Naruto watched on, making sure to take in the smiling faces of the happy families. Samuru had went off to talk to the next in line for the head of the Saito, a position which would no doubt bring great struggle to this new clan head due to the events that had transpired and the loss of the Saito clan lands. Still, Samuru explained to him that if the new clan head is a good one, they won't care about such trivial matters and will instead be content with the fact that their clansmen were still alive. 'An admirable trait' He idly thought to himself.

In all honesty, Naruto was glad that these past few events had happened, as bad as it may sound, because it has allowed him to gain a little bit of the very thing Samuru explained is very important to have in order to survive in the world, experience.

"Naruto!" A voice called out. Turning around he noticed Samuru walking towards him, Kicho and an older looking woman alongside him. He said nothing, only nodding slightly at the three individuals as they approached him.

"There's some people who would like to speak to you" The Uzumaki said as he gestured towards Kicho and the older woman.

"Hello Naruto, my name is Tsubaki," the older woman said with a polite smile gracing her features, "I'm the wife of Takahide... and mother off Kicho" She continued, giggling slightly as Naruto's eyes widened slightly and his mouth opened in shock, "On behalf of the Saito clan I would like to thank you for saving the life of the clans heiress... who has now taken up the mantle of clan head with my husbands passing"

If Naruto wasn't shocked before then he certainly was now.

"It was nothing ma'am, I just saw a beautiful girl and trouble and rushed to help her" He quickly shot out, a hint of embarrassment in his emotionless tone.

"Oh? you only saved me because you found me beautiful?" Kicho spoke up, a grin worming its way onto her face

"What? Yes...I mean no... I mean, you are beautiful but I would've helped you even if you wasn't... the... your beauty was just a bonus?" The young white haired boy stammered out, stumbling over his own words, a slight blush appearing on his face.

"Relax Naruto" Kicho replied as she and the adult laughed at the younger males embarrassment, "but i'm not just here to thank you with words, but with actions" She continued, getting serious, "Elder Samuru here helped us out, repaying the debt that he and his clan owed ours for some past... events. But you Naruto... you had nothing to do with the debt the Uzumaki owed us but still helped us anyway, even going as far as to save me, the heiresses, life, whether is was knowingly or not, and that speaks a great deal about your character," She said, pausing to allow her words to sink in, giving the young boy time to process what she had said, "It's because of this that me as well as the surviving leaders of the Saito came up with this idea," She continued, holding up a piece of paper, "Now listen to me carefully, i know this may be hard to understand as you are still quite young, but this paper will be sacred to you... you can only use it once, as we only have one debt to repay to you, Naruto... when the time come, when you require assistance, send a raven with this paper and clan Saito shall come toy your aid" she finished, as Naruto's eyes widened in shock at this revelation, he looked at Samuru for confirmation and the elder man smiled and nodded his head.

Bowing down low for Kicho, Naruto felt tears well up in his eyes before he forced them back, remembering that he promised himself to never cry again over a year ago, "Thank you Ma'am" He replied, his voice quite shakey.

Kicho and Tsubaki smiled at the boy, before the elder woman whispered something into her daughters ear, Kicho nodded at her mothers words before she turned back to Naruto.

"It's the least I can do Naruto... after all, I have pledged my self to you, so this is to keep you safe until we are both at an age where you can have the full backing of the clan" she kindly remarked

...

 _Silence_

Naruto stood back into his original position and stared straight into Kicho's eyes, who responded by doing the same.

"Eh?" Was the intelligent remark of the young boy.

Her eye twitching slightly at the boys response, Kicho spoke once more.

"We are pledged to one another"

...

"Eh?"

"I am yours"

"Erm...what?"

"We get to experience one another for a whole life time"

"What the..? Eh?"

"WE'RE ENGAGED!" The elder teen shouted, losing her temper as the young, white haired boys idiocy was getting on her nerves.

Tsubaki and Samuru could only sweat drop as they watched the situation in front of them unfold.

...

...

...

"WHAT!"

 **A/N There we go, the next chapter complete and the 'Introductory Arc' as i like to call it, has come to an end. Throughout this Arc we have seen how jumbled and confused Naruto's emotions are. How kind and compassionate Samuru can be and still be incredibly serious when the time comes. We have been introduced to both Allies and Enemies and Naruto has found himself being engaged already!? :O Questions will have popped up and the answers will one day be revealed.**

 **The next chapter will consist of the journey to Samuru's home and will include some of the training Naruto will be doing and then after that the next Arc, "A place to call home" will begin.**

 **Remember to favorite and/or follow and if you want the review section is always available for constructive criticism! Thank you!**


	5. The Northern Realms

For Naruto, the rest of the journey north was exciting, though not as exciting as fighting in a fully fledged militaristic battle alongside his new allies, the Saito clan.

It took them six weeks after those events to get to Samuru's farmlands and along the way Naruto could definitely say he has learnt a great deal. Despite what he has learnt though, Naruto understand that he is far from strong, he understood that there would be no drastic change in his battle prowess in just six weeks, but that doesn't mean he hasn't grown at all.

Day by day, Naruto has slowly but surely begun to absolutely perfect the basics of swordsmanship. The basics are quite simply, swinging a sword. Whilst it may sound quite lame and many would believe that the 'art' of just swinging a sword up and down, left and right is not something you would want to spend a great deal of time on, a true swordsman, any true swordsman, would understand. The simple 'art' of swinging a sword is the most important aspect. It doesn't just come down to swinging the sword, it's where to swing it, how to swing it, how much power, at what angle, tons of questions are put into every single swing, all of them answered at an incredible speed, sometimes before the one holding the sword even realizes. Those who underestimate such a simple 'art' have always paid the price... and during his travels to the north, Naruto has made... many pay the price.

Perfecting the very basics of swordsmanship isn't the only part of his training that Naruto continued. Everyday, before and after his sessions in the way of the sword, Samuru had made sure to make Naruto do a hefty sum of physical workout in order to build up his power, speed, stamina and endurance. This physical workout also came in the shape of a healthy diet, something Naruto had not been able to have before due to his... situation.

The art of fighting and physical improvement has only been two of the things that Samuru has had Naruto continue working on. The third part of Naruto's training was his mental training, and this meant a great deal of books and lecturing, something Naruto hated at first, but is now something he takes pleasure in doing. In this regard Samuru gave Naruto a list of various different lecture that Samuru could teach the young boy and told him to pick only four. The first two were an easy pick for Naruto as he was eager to learn more about the Art Of Warfare as well as resume his History lectures from before. It was the final two that Naruto struggled to choose. After a great deal of thought Naruto eventually chose his two final subjects.

The first was Calligraphy. He figured that, even though it is not a 'realistic' subject. If he perfected Calligraphy he would be able to get the older Uzumaki to teach him the art of seals, after all, the Uzumaki clan are renown for their sealing abilities and it would be a great honor to be taught the art by one.

The second subject was something Naruto never wanted to pick up, but understood he would have too if he wanted to survive long enough to protect those he care about. That subject being Politics, and he hated every second of it. He found the subject exceptionally boring and pointless at times, especially with how the politicians in this bloody world speak with their armies ninety percent of the time, but he continued to work towards a higher understanding of the world of politics, especially due to the fact that he didn't want Kicho to have to end up doing all the hard work.

Speaking of Kicho, when Naruto found out about their current engagement he was... shocked. In the six weeks he had been travelling though he had warmed up to the idea of this marriage, mostly due to the fact that he now understands that most people, especially the women, are married of in loveless contracts for simple alliances, so Naruto decided he might as well get married to someone who, despite spending on a few days with, he considers to be special to him. The two had been in touch via raven, both of them promising to visit one another in order to make this marriage work, though they both had a strong belief that it will.

Too end the journey, Naruto and Samuru traveled through the cold northern mountains before coming across the beautiful green plains that sat on the other side. It took only a week from there to reach Samuru's farmlands and Naruto was very surprised when he arrived. Being the elder of the Uzumaki, Naruto expected some large mansion with hundreds of fields dedicated to different types of farming and thousands of servants. Instead it was a small, modest farmhouse that looked like it could fit a family of five, maybe six, a small dojo near a small stream and a singular field dedicated to what seemed to be vegetable farming. When Naruto asked the elder why he lived like this Samuru quickly explained the situation, informing Naruto that he is only elder out of respect, he is not the actual leader of the clan, just the oldest and strongest, and whilst he would come to his clans aid if they were in danger of extinction, he lived out here with his family because he wanted as little as possible to do with the wars that plague the land.

Meeting Samuru's family was also an interesting day for the young white haired boy. The Uzumaki's wife, Aiko Uzumaki, was exceptionally beautiful, as well as young seeming though she was only in her early thirties compared to Samuru who was in his mid fifties, and was very accepting of Samuru's young apprentice, happy enough to let the youngster live with them as long as he helped out around the house. It was also quite the experience meeting his masters daughter, Mito Uzumaki, as she was very joyful, quick to make him spar with her, and it was with that spar that Naruto truly learnt to never underestimate his opponent as, despite being similar in age, due to her having a greater deal of training behind her thanks to Samuru and Aiko, she kicked his ass, though his experience in the field helped him a great deal as it allowed him to catch her off guard a great deal of times as well as come up with plans at the flick of the wrist, something, Naruto discovered that day, he was actually very good at.

And it is here that Naruto now wishes to stay for many years, learning under the guidance of his master, Samuru, becoming a responsible man and a mature adult under the watchful eye of Aiko and little by little, regaining some emotion alongside his best friend and sister-figure, Mito.

 **A/N: And here we have it guys, the 'informative chapter'. Worry not! For the next chapter will certainly be something to bring out some excitement! Regardless this one had to be done! because who knows when we shall next return here...**

 **In terms of the actual journey north... I was thinking of doing the actually journey as a separate story, a side project if you will, but we'll see if I have the chance to do it. If I do it definitely will not be as regular as this story. Cheers guys!** **Don't forget to follow and/or favorite! And the review section is always open for constructive criticism!**


	6. Need Of A Home

"Silence!" A voice bellowed out as the people around them stopped bickering and focused on the source of the voice.

The voice was none other then Kicho, the leader of the Saito clan. It had been nearly three months since the Saito, with the help of the Uzumaki and Naruto, retreated to their hidden fortress. It had been a hard and bloody three months as the clan members have struggled to get by, having to hunt for themselves has proven to be a difficult task compared to when they could just trade with one of the major clans in order to receive the necessary supplies to get by, and having to be secretive and cover their own tracks every time they went hunting has not helped ease the difficulty of the task.

For the past three months Kicho has been doing all she can to help her people, proving to them she is a fair and just leader, though she is exceptionally cold hearted when it comes to punishing those who endanger the clan. Despite being able to keep the people happy, Kicho has realized that the happiness will not last forever, especially with the harsh living conditions compared to the months prior to their retreat, hence the reason she called for a council meeting, in order to discuss possible solutions.

"Clansmen and women. We have all surely realized the conditions that have befell our people... we must come up with a solution! We cannot keep living like this. If no one can come up with any alternatives... then i'm afraid we will have to reveal this location to the world" The young leader stated, carefully watching the reactions of the members of her council.

"Preposterous!" A middle aged man shouted, slamming his hand down onto the table, "This is the only location where we can be safe! Away from the prying eyes of those bastard Sarutobi!"

"What is your alternative then Councillor?" Was the dry remark that Kicho gave the older man.

"I...I..."

"Land, daughter" A voice echoed as every council member turned to see Tsubaki standing within the doorway, "We must conquer some land. We have the forces to take out a lesser clan, know we just have to figure out which one to take out"

"I would rather not resort to bloodshed, mother" Kicho replied, eyes narrowing as she stared right into her mothers eyes, "I would rather not put someone into our own shoes... or worse"

"If I may, Lady Kicho" Another council member called out, this one being a younger man, in his mid 20's, his name being Dosan, the leader of the Saito military, "I agree with Lady Tsubaki, but also with you, my Lady. If we use our forces to encircle one of the lesser clans, then enforce vassalage upon them, we will be able to take them over in a more... peaceful way. We could then implement them as member of our own clan, maybe making them branch members, in order to quell any and all distrust. Any rebellions would not be major and we would be able to take care of them... in the dark. That is my suggestion, my Lady"

Kicho said naught, weighing the options, coming up with various pro's and con's. Finally she looked back at Tsubaki and Dosan.

"Two days... You have two days to come up with the proper sketches of the plans as well as the best clan to hit."

"Yes, My Lady" The two older Councillors replied.

"If that is all then this council is dis..."

"Actually my lady" The same middle aged Councillor from earlier spoke up, "I believe i'm not the only one who would like to know this, but why did you sign a marriage contract with young Naruto? Granted, he saved your life but that's not enough to rush into a marriage contract... is there a... particular reason why you signed one?"

Looking around the room seeing the interested looks from her council, Kicho could only sigh before narrowing her eyes dangerously, making them all flinch slightly.

"Ok then, Councillors, What i'm about to say will never leave this council, not until me and Naruto have been wed at the least. You see, it all has to do with Naruto's family... his Clan..."

* * *

"Well that was a nuisance" Kicho Sighed as she walked alongside her mother.

"I still can't believe you informed them darling, I thought you was going to keep that information between just us two and the Uzumaki until the marriage was over and done with" Tsubaki replied, a small frown on her face.

"That was the plan... but what's the bloody point? They were going to find out one way or another, you should know... we Saito are a curious bunch after all" The young leader replied.

"Indeed"

The two continued to walk in a comfortable silence, waving and smiling at the occasional clan member before they walked into their temporary home. Once within, Tsubaki went to her own study, to draw up some plans for their invasion, whilst Kicho went straight to be, eager to get some rest after being locked up in the council room all day. As she stripped down, preparing her self to sleep, she heard thunder striking in the distance. As she closed her eyes, one thought ran through her head.

'A storm is brewing'

 **A/N And the new arc has finally begun. What events will transpire? will all go according to plan?... We shall see.**

 **Don't forget to follow and/or favorite if you enjoy this story! And remember! The review section is always open for constructive criticism!**


	7. Hoshina

It was a beautiful day in the town of Tanzaku and a young boy, no older then 10, ran around in a large open field that was positioned in front of a rather large, lavish mansion. He was chasing after a small dog, laughing the whole time as two men, dressed in the traditional warrior robes (Just a pair of black robes with a red outline) watched over him, their faces express no emotion as they did.

"Young Master!" A voice cried out as a beautiful woman ran out into the garden towards him, both warriors watching her every move as she ran towards the boy, but knowing not to stop her as she is a loyal servant to the young boy they are watching over. The boy in question is Mutsuhito Hoshina, the young lord of the Hoshina clan who took over when his father died six months ago.

"Yes Sun?" He asked with a small smile as the girl stopped in front of him, breathing heavily as she regained her breath.

"An army!" She shouted in terror, causing the two armed guards to rush towards the two, weapons drawn, "A massive one, there's about one thousand of them young lord! They outnumber us greatly and have encircled the whole town! They have given us until midnight to pledge vassalage to them or else then will attack!"

The boy could only stare at Sun, his eyes widened and mouth agape as his mind worked out what was going on.

"But who? We haven't done anything to anyone!" He exclaimed

"It matters not my lord," One of the guards said, "You must remember that the affairs of us lower clans do not affect the Emperor or any of the Major clans, after all, unlike us they have had the opportunity to live in relative peace... for now anyway. Such wars on a minor scale such as ours are mere skirmishes to them, hence the reason why minor clans constantly attack other minor clans for no reason... so they can one day rise to be a major clan... It's been that was for the past twenty years mi'lord"

"Yes but... all this... it makes no sense!" The boy screamed out in terror and anger, "Please Sun! Who are they!"

"We... we are unsure... but o my way here I heard one of the commanders mention something about the Saito"

"Tch... So the Saito are back from the dead are they?" Was the annoyed response from the second guard.

'Oh god... what can I do? what do I do? I don't want to endanger the people... but that would mean' "Argh!"

Everyone jumped slightly when the young lord let out a frustrated growl.

"Call the Grand-General to the council room, I need to know whats going on fully" The boy spoke, with a slightly commanding aura.

"Yes Mi'lord!" One of the guards replied as he ran of to find the Grand-General.

* * *

"So we have been surrounded on all sides, they have barricaded to roads and started a forest fire in our ONLY source of wood to the east?" Mutsuhito questioned gravely as an elder man dressed in some worn out, dark red, samurai armor nodded, a sour expression etched onto his face. This man was Takabana, The Grand-General of the Hoshina clan, A man who fought as a Company Commander in the war twenty years ago.

"That is correct, young lord. And to think it would be the Saito! Why.. if Takahide was still alive he would have none of it! Laying siege to an old ally like this! Even if the friendship between our two clans drifter apart years ago! Whoever there new leader is... well, their bloody damn well stupid!" The elder complained, as young Mutsuhito just listened as he complained.

"Well, that may be so Master Takabana, but it's happening regardless. That's why I called you here Master, I am too young and when it comes to warfare I have only you who I can trust." The boy replied as Takabana puffed up his chest in pride before he began to consider their coptions.

"The way I see it, young lord, is that the Saito have lost Wave because of the Sarutobi. Know, the Saito have not had a great deal of allies, especially when it comes to the Saito of the last two decades... That means they had no one to trust... no one to help them. There are plenty of clans who are lesser clans compared to the Saito, who was up until recently hailed as a minor clan, which means they were already near us for them to come to the conclusion that they should attack us specifically. Hm.. Yes... The way i see it, young master, is that there is very little we CAN do."

"WHAT!" The boy replied, fear evident in his voice and on his face, "But doesn't that mean we're all going to die?!"

"Not precisely... This could actually work out in our favor in my honest belief mi'lord... For the Saito to make a move now... that means in order to keep the balance they will have to keep on moving... especially if they don't want to face defeat at the hands of the Sarutobi again. Young master... you should accept vassalage... We will never really amount to much by ourselves, but if the Saito keep on moving after this, like I predict they will, and if we help them, like i'm telling you we should, then they will reward us with land."

"B...But if i do this and the Saito are defeated then..."

"That means that our clan gets liberated. As long as you govern these new lands that we could potentially receive correctly then we'll be able to keep them if the Saito are defeated."

"I...I see. I never knew it could work out like that Master!" The young boy beamed as he looked up in happiness at the older man, "I'll go and surrender to the Saito leader right away! I'm sure everyone getting uncomfortable with an army surrounding us!" He shouted as he ran out of the room leaving Takabana behind.

'Yes' The older man thought 'And with this... I rise'

 **A/N It seems the Saito went through with the plans they began to formulate to gain some new land! What will be the fate of these two clans? And what does Takabana mean? Find out... when I decide to reveal everything!xD**

 **Don't forget to follow and/or favorite! And remember! The review section is always open for constructive criticism!**


	8. Clan Log Book 1: The Saito

**These log Books will be short pieces of information. I will do various ones as I go through the story and it will not just be restricted to Clans. I shall end up doing Log Books for Characters or historic events that took place withing this 'world'**

 **Clan: Saito**

 **Members Of interest:**

 **Takahide Saito (49th Clan Head of the Saito, fought in the great war that raged the lands twenty years priors, died defending his clansmen and women when the Sarutobi invaded their lands)**

 **Kicho Saito (50th Clan Head of the Saito, 8th female Clan Head. Daughter of Takahide, trained as a kunoichi. Took over the clan when she was fourteen. Proven to be fair and just but bloodthirsty and cold hearted when it comes to those who threaten the clan. This reulted in her earning the nickname, Queen of Ice)**

 **Tsubaki Saito (Wife, know widow, of Takahide and Mother of Kicho. Not much is know about her, though it is said that she ran the clan in Takahide's steed, using him as figurehead, though whether or not this is true remains to be proven. It is believed that she used to be a Kunoichi, due to the aura she sometimes gives of, but if she was, she worked in the shadows, because not even the Saito know if this is true either)**

 **Dosan Saito (The commander of the Saito military. He is known for being able to create brilliant plans and strategies beforehand, but is known to be unhelpful when stressed and rushed. He is a brilliant swordsman, being one of the minority who has moved on from the way of the sword in order to learn the Samurai style of Kenjutsu) (The way of the sword and Kenjutsu are going to be referred to as different things in this story. Think of it this way; In the way of the sword you learn how to fight with a sword, how to draw, parry, swing the sword properly, proper footwork etc. whilst Kenjutsu is the use of techniques such as quickdraw or the combination of the sword and an elemental affinity... sorry if you find this confusing)**

 **Specialist Traits:**

 **The Saito are referred to as Masters of 'The way of the sword' and have had great rulers come in abundant... Sadly these traits have slowly started to go throughout the generations, with only a minimum number of Saito being Masters of 'The way of the sword' and 1 in every 4 ruler being absolutely terrible and nearly running the Saito into the ground.**

 **Specialist Techniques:**

 **The Saito have only One Specialist Technique, that Technique being** ** _Blood Dancer._** **Sadly this Technique is only given to clan member who master both 'The way of the sword' as well as mastering a form of Kenjutsu. Due to these circumstances it has been nearly five decades since** ** _Blood Dancer_** **was learnt, Though many believe that Dosan will come to have it in his possession within the next few years.**

 **Friends:**

 **Hoshina Clan - The Hoshina clan were great friends of the Saito, always fighting alongside one another during the great war and saving one another more then a few times. Sadly after the great war Takahide and the current head of the Hoshino had a disagreement which lead to their alliance being scraped and the refusal to negotiate with one another.**

 **Uzumaki Clan - The Uzumaki clan and Saito have respect for one another. The Uzumaki owed the Saito a favor, though it is unknown to the rest of the world why, and were always awaiting the opportunity to repay this favor... no matter the cost.**

 **Enemies:**

 **Sarutobi - The rivalry between the Saito and Sarutobi clans has existed for over 100 years. Why the rivalry exists has been lost to the annals of time, but neither one of the clans are willing to back down. This has lead to the out break of many wars between the two... The most recent two being the Sarutobi invasion of Wave and the choice of opposing sides during the great war.**


	9. A Vicious Game

"It's all went according to plan mi'lady. We have occupied the town and the Hoshina have put up minimum resistance. A few fancy speeches from you and young Mutsuhito and the public will calm down. On my side i'll make sure to keep our soldiers to the minimum when they are not needed, we don't want to MAKE it look life a hostile take over... even if it IS one" The voice of Dosan Saito rung out throughout the council room inside the mansion which lay within the, now Saito owned, town of Tanzaku.

"Thank you, that's good to hear Dosan" The teen replied as the elder swordsman bowed slightly to her and walked out the room.

Everything had worked out perfectly so far. The Saito were in control of Tanzaku and the Hoshino were now there vassals. Despite this, if one was to ask Kicho then she would tell them straight; _Things had gone TOO smoothly_. Sure there has been some protest from the regular Hoshino clansmen, but the upper echelon had been surprisingly quiet and Kicho didn't believe it had anything to do with Mutsuhito... he was too young and naive after all.

"Worried?" A voice questioned and Kicho turned around to see her mother approaching her

"Indeed mother... this just seems so..."

"Easy?" The elder woman questioned as her daughter nodded in response, "Yes, I thought so too... that only means we have entered a game that is less bloodthirsty... but a great deal more difficult compared to how it would be if we just conquered the town through brute force. This is politics dear... a vicious game of backstabbing... and if the ease of our victory says anything... it seems like Mutsuhito was the first to be back stabbed... not surprising though, especially considering his age. The true question daughter... is what does this person, or people, get out of it?" Tsubaki finished, standing next to her daughter.

'Yes... what indeed?'

* * *

It had been a month since the capture of Tanzaku. Everything had been going well in the town. Distrust was there but it wasn't abundant and therefore did not affect the lives of the people, Hoshina and Saito alike. The city had actually started to grow more prosperous under the rule of Kicho, which had made some Hoshino clansmen glad that she took over, though very few of them say this out loud. Mutsuhito had been taken under the wing of Tsubaki in order to learn politics, as well as to be made into a more suitable bargaining chip if the situation called for it, and Sun, Mutsuhito's servant girl, was being taught the art of seduction, as well as the art of acting like a noble lady, as the Saito council had figured her beauty could be put into service for the good of the clan.

The month had went by slowly for Kicho. She has been using as many resources as she could possibly spare in order to find anyone who is plotting against her and apart from discovering some shady dealings the merchants had partook in, in order to get more money, all she had found was some loose ends, though these loose ends only proved to make her more paranoid... especially when one of them involved the Hyuga clan, one of the seven major clans, though her worries were eased a little when she remembered that they couldn't take any major action otherwise it would break the fragile peace between the seven clans and a second great war could start.

Apart from the wonders of politics, Kicho has had the time to send some ravens to Naruto, who she learnt was doing well. He was halfway through his studies in the way of the sword, a major achievement for someone who had only been studying the art for little less than half a year, which proved he was a prodigy and cleared any doubts she may have had about Naruto's family. She had also learnt that he was quite the genius when it came to the art of warfare... Something she knew was going to help out the clan greatly, especially with the hardships they are currently facing. All in all the two had been getting to know each other better in order to make the marriage work and so far things had been going just fine. Though, Kicho did feel quite nervous with how fine everything had been.

* * *

"It seems this man wants to meet with us" A raspy voice stated to another as they both sat, crossed legged, within an oak room.

"I see not, why we should. He is inferior and has nothing to offer" The other voice cockily replied.

"Ah, but that seems to be where you are incorrect, brother" The first figure replied, "He has plenty enough to offer us... A thousand dead bodies and a reason"

"A Reason?" The brother asked in confusion.

"Yes... A reason to get rid off our enemies once and for all... We have been preparing to deal with them after all"

The two figures smirked evilly, as they stood, bowed to one another and proceeded to walk out of the room, both going their separate ways but both going to do the same thing.

 _Prepare_

* * *

"Is everything prepared?" Takabana asked as he watched his own loyal retainers running around, setting food and drink upon the table and puffing up the cushions that were lying around the house.

"Yes Master" One of the retainers replied, "And our guests will be here shortly"

"And then I can take part in my favorite activity... Politics" The Grand-General stated with a sigh and eye roll.

"They're here Grand-General" Another servant spoke as he moved to open the door.

"Alright, places everybody... I don't want to fuck this up and lose some much needed support."

The retainers step towards the edges of the room effectively spreading themselves out to cover every and any entry/exit point as well as the walls surrounding the room. As they did this two men walked into the room. Both of them with large pale eyes and long black hair, they looked identical too one another indicating they were identical twins. One wore elegant white robes whilst the other, who trailed behind the first, wore elegant black robes. These were Hiashi and Hizashi Hyuga, the twin heads of the Hyuga clan, one of the seven major clans that held true power over the lands.

"My lords" Takabana said "Please, take a seat. If you don't mind I would very much like to enjoy this small feast, that my retainers have created for us, as we discuss our matters"

Silently the two lords sat down, looking at the food spread out across the table. If they were of a lesser clan they would be impressed but alas, these two were from one of the great pillars holding the country together, such food would not impress them greatly though, for the sake of moving along with things, neither commented or acted upon their thoughts.

The silence went on for five minutes but for Takabana it felt like every second was an hour. He was getting nervous, neither of the lords in front of him had bothered to speak a word, not even a greeting. The sweat slowly poured of his face and his breathing became slightly ragged, something the two Hyuga's picked up on if the small smirk he saw the younger twin, Hizashi, shoot towards him was any indication.

After a long, excruciating ten minutes of silence the elder twin, Hiashi, paused his eating and decided to address the man sitting in front of him.

"I believe it's time to discuss the reason for this meeting, don't you Grand-General?" The Hyuga asked, his pale eyes looking right into the soul of the man.

"Y...Yes Mi'lord. As you know I have already given you the details of the plan in the raven I sent to you" Takabana replied, ignoring Hizashi's 'An unintelligent move to make', "And as you already this plan..."

"...Could restart the great war. If we are discovered to be affiliating ourselves with you when this plan of yours is put into motion then one or two of the other great clans will surely rebel against the emperor again for his 'inadequacies'" Hiashi countered.

"But my lord, surely you realize that a war will break out with this plan anyway?" The Grand-General questioned, intrigued as to why the Hyuga were here in the first place if they knew this.

"This plan of yours involves getting all of us major clans to declare war on nearly every single minor and lesser clans. The power of all those clans allied would be able to topple or greatly weaken one of the major clans. All this manpower will surely be directed at the clan that first started the war, therefore we would like to direct our great enemies as the instrument of war. Of course, if this plan succeeds then we will help the Hoshina become the eight great clan with you as head" The Hyuga said, explaining the basics of this newer version of their original plan.

"I see...yes, that works out fine Mi'lord. If you don't mind, maybe we can discuss it in greater detail?" The Hoshina General asked.

The two Hyuga looked at each other, a strange glint passing through their eyes before they nodded to one another. The three men then continued to spend the rest of their time discussing their plan with one another.

* * *

Four Hours, that's how long the meeting went on for. Four whole hours of politicking, though neither Hyuga was necessarily bothered as they have had longer political sittings, especially with the politics that transpire whenever they are called to the capital to see the emperor.

The two were now in their carriage, which was expressively elegant, on their way back to their clan lands. They were surrounded by their escort which consisted off but was not limited too; four thousand soldiers and one thousand Shinobi and Kunoichi. They are lucky that the Hoshina General was not utterly stupid and decided to hold the meeting in a mountain hideaway, near enough away from prying eyes, otherwise their escort, no matter how small it was for a major clan, would easily be noticed and their transgression would not have went unnoticed by the other clans.

"Tell me brother" Hizashi spoke as his older brother of an hour looked up from the book he was reading to listen to what the younger Hyuga had to say, "Do you plan to honor your agreement with Takabana Hoshina?"

Hiashi just stared at his brother, a calculative look in his eye before he decided to look back down and continue reading his book.

"What do you think?"

 **A/N And here is the next chapter! We have a bit of scheming going on now! Who is the great enemy of the Hyuga? How do the Hyuga and Hoshina rebels plan to force the realm into internal strife once more? Will Kicho or one of the Saito, or loyal Hoshina, find out about the plan before it's too late? When will Naruto come back into the story? questions, questions, questions! And you will have to wait to find out the answers!**

 **Don't forget to follow and/or favorite! And remember! The review section is always open for constructive criticism!**


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